About Us

Our Beliefs - What do we believe?

All that is required to be a Presbyterian is to:

• Confess the Christian faith.
• Trust in Christ as our forgiving savior.
• Promise to follow Christ and Christ’s example for living.
• Commit oneself to attend church and to become involved in its work.

There are no strict set of beliefs that unites Presbyterians or separates them from other followers of Christ.

What do we, the church, expect of our members at First Presbyterian?

• Worship Regularly. Worship is the heart of our church’s life. We urge our members to make worship a great priority; everything in our church’s life emanates from our worship.
• Serve Eagerly. Involvement is the key to growth. There is a place of service for everyone in our church. We will help you find “your” place.
• Give Generously. FPC has nothing that was not given to it. We ask our members to give generously out of a grateful heart. Give in gratitude until you feel good about it.
• Live Worthily. Let the light of Christ shine through your life that others will see something of Him in you.

Presbyterians recognize two sacraments:

• Baptism – unites us with Jesus Christ and makes up members of God’s family, the church.
• Communion (The Lord’s Supper) – a time to renew our faith and strengthen participants for the duties and privileges of Christian service.

Some major doctrines (beliefs) of Presbyterianism –

Bible – the inspired, infallible word of God – our rule of faith and practice.

Christ – one hundred percent human (required food and rest, responded to love and sympathy, laughed and wept like others) and one hundred percent God (had an amazing authority in word and deed, performed miracles, showed command over nature – both physical and human).

Church – meaning “called out” in the New Testament Greek language. The church is a community of people called out of the world by God to belong to Him and to be His people.

Creation – God creates in the beginning, God created out of nothing and God creates for His own glory and for humankind’s sake.

Head of the Church – is Jesus Christ.

Hell – separation from God that may exist now and hereafter.

Holy Spirit – the spirit of God that dwells in the hearts of men and women to guide our daily lives.

Man (Humankind) – Created in the image of God, rebelled against God, redeemed by Christ, shall be like Christ

Predestination – has only to do with salvation. God has determined what shall happen in the world, but in such a way that humankind is left a moral agent with freedom of choice, responsible for his/her acts. (Deuteronomy 7, Romans 9).

Salvation – no one can save himself/herself; salvation is by the grace of God given freely to us in Jesus Christ as our Savior 

Trinity – God is one of three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit